Small curiosity

ANECDOTS AND HISTORICAL REFERENCE ON MARRIAGE

DID YOU EVER ASK YOURSELF THE ORIGIN OF THE BRIEDE’S VEIL, OF THE WEDDING RING, OF THE RICE THROUGH?

THE BRIDE’S VEIL

It was introduced by the antique Romans to protect young women from “Bad Luck” coming from a rejected lover.

THE WEDDING RING

It was normally used during Christian weddings ever since the IX century, but it actually goes back to the antique Egyptians and was placed on the bride’s ring finger because it was believed that through that finger ran a vein which flew straight to the heart. The ring which was made of gold, the toughest metal known at the time, gives to whoever wears it a perfect and lasting union. From this came the belief that a broken ring would be carrier of bad luck.

RICE LAUNCH

The traditional launch of rice or streamers confetti on the bridal party generates from an old Greek costume by which, to wish fertility, people would launch candies on the wedding couple. This action also was done to wish them prosperity. In Indonesia instead the launch of rice was believed necessary to hold back the groom’s soul who otherwise right after the ceremony would run away never to come back.

HONEYMOON

The term “honeymoon”, or time in which consummation is performed, derives from an old costume of North Europe to drink wine mixed with honey as an aphrodisiac during the first marriage month.

In the antique Egypt the king was considered to be of Devine blood, son of God; to maintain intact this purity throughout all descendants he, the king, would usually marry only a sister, step-sister or a close relative. By some African tribes before getting married a man had to bed his mother-in-law to be. Finally, on the Gilbert’s Islands if a man was attracted to a girl he had to also marry all her sisters.